The Celtics have traded backup center Patrick O’Bryant to the Sacramento Kings. The move was made for salary-cap purposes and the club will not receive a player in return, according to an NBA source.

There is the possibility that the club will receive a draft pick in exchange for the 7-footer, who averaged 1.5 points in 26 games for the Celtics after signing as a free agent in the offseason.

O’Bryant was not at the Celtics’ shootaround this afternoon.

I consider this be a conclusive statement on O’Bryant’s development since joining the club this summer. We haven’t seen enough of him to tell if he’s made any progress, but this trade signals that he has failed to do so, otherwise the C’s would have kept him around until next season.

Patrick O’Bryant was not an NBA caliber player when he joined Boston, and he’s shown nothing to the contrary since then.

There’s a good chance that this was O’Bryant’s last chance in the NBA and that he’ll be plying his trade in another league this time next season.

The Trade

Oh yes, this was a trade.

Presumably the Kings got paid again. Free money is always good, so a good trade for Sacramento.

This Celtics cleared up a roster spot. They got rid of a useless player and opened up the possibility of adding someone who can help them.

A source tells me the Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Patrick O’Bryant to Toronto for backup point guard Will Solomon. There were reports that O’Bryant was headed to Sacramento, but this deal fills Boston’s need for another option at point guard behind Rajon Rondo, Eddie House and Gabe Pruitt, and it gives the Raptors another big body to bring off the bench.

I do not know why the Celtics preferred this deal to the Kings offer. I’ll wait for more information and hopefully we’ll get a better idea why they did this.

Will Solomon is a good third string point guard but the Celtics already have an excellent starting point guard, a very good backup point guard, and an excellent third string point guard. They also have 2-3 wings who can run the offense or play the point offensively. They simply have no need for another point guard.

Perhaps, the C’s are planning on waiving Will Solomon?I think Solomon’s contract is guaranteed though, and I think the numbers are fairly comparable to O’Bryant. Was their a pick involved?

The Will Solomon era in Boston is over little more than an hour after it began.

The Celtics have sent Solomon, a point guard acquired from the Toronto Raptors shortly before the 3 p.m. trading deadline in exchange for center Patrick O’Bryant, to the Sacramento Kings for a conditional second-round draft pick.

According to sources, the deal is formally a three-way swap.

Okay, so does everyone know the story now?

Boston dumped O’Bryant, and received a conditional 2nd round pick plus an open roster spot

Toronto traded Solomon, and received O’Bryant

Sacramento traded a conditional second round pick, and received Solomon.

I’ve read that the conditional second round pick is so heavily protected that Boston will never see it.

Conclusions

So how well did each team do in the trade?

Boston — The Celtics made out like bandits, dumping a useless player and gaining a roster spot to be used on someone who can actually contribute. A great days work from Danny Ainge.

Sacramento — The Kings added a very good third string point guard in Will Solomon at no real cost to their team. Nice short term pickup to give their squad more depth after trading away Bobby Brown earlier today. Good trade for them.

Toronto — Bryan Colangelo took on the colossal failure known as Patrick O’Bryant, a player who does not have the talent required to play at this level. He wasted a roster spot on this mope. A very bad but non-consequential trade from Colangelo.